Agreement Between A Lawyer And His Client
Lawyer client confidentiality, lawyer client privilege, agreement with lawyer
There is a sacred relationship between a lawyer and his client. It is so
important that if broken, other lawyers look down on you even if you thought
you were acting on the best interest of the state. It is important that
the client knows the intricacies of the agreement.
Lawyers have a bad name as ambulance chasers and people who are only out
to make a killing at your expense. This might be true or not, but it is
better to be safe than sorry. Before putting pen on paper on the agreement,
read it carefully and consider the fine print because the devil is in the
details. Make sure that on top of reading the agreement, you know the purpose
of that agreement and you consider the terms laid out because in a situation
such as a settlement, you will want to look at what the lawyer’s “cut” is.
As far as going through the agreement is concerned, do not should not ignore
reading it through word for word just because you trust the lawyer. Different
law firms have differently drafted agreements and the contracts are not
standard at all. You should avoid being rushed into signing an agreement,
which most lawyers do, because it is your money that pays the lawyer and
that makes you the boss.
This contract, commonly known as the Retainer Agreement, is the basis for
what is expected from both sides. The lawyer and the client are on the same
side and they should not act as though they are enemies – no case will be
won that way. The two principals should try to adhere to the contract so
that mistrust is not created because such mistrust may lead to inadequate
representation by the lawyer or lack of payment by the client.
Lawyers are
very well paid and it is your money that will be doing so. The fee they
will get from representing you is usually very generous and so they shouldn’t
get more still from you. It is therefore very important that before settling
on a specific lawyer, you look at his fees because even though the lawyer
manages to keep you out of prison, you do not want to have no home to go
to because you sold your house to pay the fees. Different lawyers have different
ways of charging you, but most do it on the basis of the hours that they
have been on your case.
They also charge you for everything they spend money on that involves your
case such as office supplies, transport to and from courts, among other
charges. Therefore, be very cautious on your choice so that you get the
best deal. Many have gone bankrupt after their trials – don’t be part of
the statistics!
In conclusion, you should enter into this agreement with suspicion because
that is what will prompt you to look at the agreement extra carefully. Take
your time and seek advice from those who might have been in your shoes before.
After signing, all you can do is honoring your end of the agreement so that
you may have the moral high ground when filing a complaint against your attorney.
|